Chapter 18

For a moment, my heart softened toward Noah. But I quickly reminded myself he wasn't defending me; he was defending Luna's position and our reputation. We were on the verge of a divorce, and he certainly didn't want anything further to taint our image. Still, I relished the shock on Emma's face. It felt good to see her humbled. She deserved it, trying to lecture me on keeping men away from my husband when her own had—

Then it hit me. I recognized the redhead in the bathroom. She was Emma's husband's mistress. The problem was the truth hadn't been exposed yet. In my previous life, about a month after this incident, a scandal involving Emma's husband and the redhead erupted, bringing her great shame and completely blindsiding her.

I tilted my head, considering Emma. I'd never formed strong social bonds with the other packs' Lunas, always remaining in Noah's shadow. Now that I aspired to be Alpha, however, I needed practical alliances.

Looping my arm through Emma's, I laughed to ease the tension. "You need to relax, Noah," I said, flipping my hair. "Emma was only trying to offer advice, in her own way."

Noah narrowed his eyes. Emma stiffened, our bodies barely touching, but she faked a smile. "Of course," she said. "Just a little Luna-to-Luna advice."

"It's all in good fun," I said, turning to Emma. "Speaking of fun, I overheard two women in the bathroom discussing how to convince an Alpha to give them his Luna's property."

Emma's eyes widened. "You mean—" her voice lowered—"an Alpha's mistress is trying to blackmail him?"

I nodded.

Emma tightened her grip and pulled me toward the restroom. "Well, we have to eavesdrop!" she exclaimed, never one to shy away from juicy gossip.

As we entered, I heard the same voices—still talking, still scheming. I stopped Emma from revealing herself, getting her to peek around the corner.

"He'll ruin me if I try," the redhead said, pacing frantically.

"If he does, you have enough information to destroy him and his b***itch Luna," the brunette countered. "But who'll believe me if he discredits me first? It's not like he's Alpha of a major pack."

The brunette wrinkled her nose. "Frankly, if not for his status, I wouldn't believe you ever slept with him. He's so fat and—"

"Watch it!"

"Well, it's true. I mean, what do you do after making love? Run your fingers through his scalp?"

Beside me, Emma stiffened, piecing it together. Fury flashed in her eyes. Her body coiled, ready to pounce.

I grabbed her elbow, trying to stop the impending storm. "Wait," I whispered.

Her lips tightened; she shook her head, trying to pull away. Again, I stopped her. I shook my head and pulled her out of the bathroom.

Once in the hallway, Emma wrenched her arm free, facing me. Her eyes blazed, nostrils flared. "Why won't you let me confront them?" she demanded.

I swallowed. A moment ago, a more vindictive part of me might have wanted the fight to escalate; but seeing the pain and anger in Emma's eyes, I felt pity. I knew that feeling—the hurt, the betrayal, the inadequacy.

Taking a hesitant step forward, I placed my hand on her shoulder. She flinched but didn't pull away.

"Talk to your husband privately," I said softly, keeping my voice low. "Handle this discreetly. Trust me."